


Little Lives

by animatedrose



Series: skekTah's Adventures [3]
Category: The Dark Crystal (1982)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Confession, Confusion, Conspiracy Theories, Fear, Garthim, Gelfling, Hak is a sleep talker, Hak is clingy, Hak is confused, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Nobody died, Panic, Paranoia, Podlings, Pregnancy, Schemer skekTah, Skeksis in labor, Slavery, Stress, Tah got pregnant without the nasty?, Tah is lost and confused, Tah is scared, Tah needs to stop stressing out, Tah was blind to affection, Tek is confused too, Tek is forever alone, Terror, Thinking About the Future, after the 600 trine mark, all Skeksis are alive in this, baby Skeksis, behind the scenes affection, death during pregnancy, hermaphrodite Skeksis, love is a confusing subject, mating talk between a scientist and a schemer, non-explicit hints to birthing, only put the M/M category because I treat them all as male, poor Tah, poor Tah doesn't understand, possessive mates, post-Gelfling Gathering, wild accusations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-08-22 15:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8291617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animatedrose/pseuds/animatedrose
Summary: Emperor skekSo gives skekTah frightening news involving something the Schemer didn't think possible--Skeksis pregnancy. Love is in the air, Skeksis are pairing off, and children are on the way. Of course, skekTah must be the odd one in this...AU to VotSatE where none of the Skeksis died. Takes place just after the Gelfling Gathering, so past the 600 trine mark in my canon.





	1. This is Possible

**Author's Note:**

> skekTah needs happy times. Not sure if this overblown AU suffices…but heck, I’m doing it anyways. 
> 
> This takes place in an AU where none of the Skeksis died. Not really dealing with the Gelfling or anything right away in this, but the Gelfling Gathering has occurred, which is past the 600 trine mark in VotSatE. Essence was found before skekHak died and urYa didn’t fall into the shaft below the crystal…because reasons! So this is all, I guess technically, post-Legends manga, so we have the Schemer rather than the Note-Taker here.
> 
> Following the hermaphrodite path that SkekLa over on deviantART set since, in the original movie novelization, urSu stated that the urRu evolved from “a species of neither gender”…so yeah, going the hermaphrodite route anatomically with the Skeksis.

“I’m pregnant, Schemer.”

skekTah felt his jaw drop. Here he was, summoned to the throne room by the Emperor for something very important, and this was the news he received. It was a good thing he was no longer the Note-Taker. He no longer had papers to drop in his surprise.

The Emperor sat upon his throne, more reclined than usual in light of his sudden weight gain. It had been gradual at first but everyone had begun noting the increased appetite of Emperor skekSo, though nobody dared to point it out aloud. The reason behind this was the Emperor’s business and the Emperor’s business alone.

Then the back pains came. Walking grew difficult and the Emperor spent more time in his bedchambers than usual. skekLach the Collector, favorite of the Emperor, grew more volatile toward others, puffing and snarling if anyone dared to draw near the Emperor. This combination of events led others to fear the absolute worst—that the Emperor was dying and had left skekLach as his successor.

Thankfully, this was proven false several days later when the Emperor returned to active life, though he spent much more time resting on his throne than he did wandering around. His swollen belly was growing more obvious despite the heavy layers of robes that he wore to cover it. And skekLach’s behavior, though lessened, remained more aggressive than usual.

Now the Schemer understood why.

The Collector was close by, hunched and quietly bristling despite the smirk curled on his beak, a completely silent yet feral display of dominance and possession. The Emperor was completely at ease, unaffected by his favorite’s behavior. The Schemer, on the other hand, found himself entirely on edge.

“Why are you telling me this?” skekTah asked, trying to avoid choking fearfully on the words.

Generally, telling the Schemer anything resulted in that information being stored away for later usage. skekTah never really forgot things. It’s what made him an avid and deadly spy. Any secret given to him put his current contact in danger of having that information used against them later.

This is merely how his current job forced him to function, in direct opposition with his previous title as Note-Taker.

Yet the Emperor treated this release of vital information as if it were a casual exchange of pleasantries. It confused and frightened the Schemer. He didn’t like it at all.

“Because I feel I can trust you to keep your beak shut until the moment is right, skekTah,” the Emperor replied. “I have trusted skekTek until this point. Now I choose to extend that trust to you. You are loyal to me, are you not?”

There was to be no hesitation in skekTah’s response. “Of course I am, sire. There is no other that I am more loyal to, my Emperor.”

“Good, good,” Emperor skekSo smiled. “skekTek has predicted that my heirs will be born two months from now. They are mine and skekLach’s. They will command the respect of the entire court. You will serve as my messenger when the time comes to announce this news. Until then, your beak will remain shut on this matter. Is that understood?”

“Clearer than any crystal, sire,” skekTah vowed.

“Good. Now go. You’re dismissed.”

The Schemer turned and left the throne room in a respectable manner.

When he was away from the throne room, he broke into a panicked run born of pure unadulterated fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the job that lay ahead of him. Fear of the concept that the Emperor had planted into his brain.

They could bear children. He had never known that before.

Deep down, perhaps he had registered that it was possible. Gelfling and Podling had children. All life did, in one way or another.

But most life had something the Skeksis didn’t—singular gender.

Anatomy and physiology weren’t skekTah’s strong points. Those sciences were things that the Scientist dabbled in. All that skekTah really cared to know was that gender wasn’t an important distinction for Skeksis. They were hermaphrodites, creatures that bore the necessary parts of the genders defined as male and female by most other creatures. Life required both genders to bring new life into the world.

But Skeksis were of both genders at once and the species was more inclined to dislike and abhor one another. Affection, and by extension, love, was a greatly ignored part of their lives. They did not form the same bonds between one another as Gelfling and Podlings did. They were very different in that respect. Yes, Skeksis felt veritable pleasure in many things, but that was not love.

Then again, did you require love to bring new life into the world?

Was Emperor skekSo in love with Collector skekLach? Was skekLach in love with skekSo? Or did some unknown series of events between them lead to their current situation?

skekTah’s mind ran in circles as his feet guided him to the Chamber of Life. He did not understand. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to, but the procuring of further knowledge was much more preferable than living in ignorance of this newfound situation.

skekTek knew about this situation. He could give the Schemer the answers he wanted.

.o.o.o.o.

“So you’ve been told. Emperor skekSo told me to expect as much one of these days,” skekTek noted, not removing himself from his research.

skekTah didn’t like being in the lab. This was where pain and mutilation and suffering took place. Where dissections and murder abounded, all in the pursuit of knowledge. Gelfling and Podlings were drained here to create the vital essence that kept the Emperor looking young and healthy. This was also where grievous wounds, from battle or otherwise, were treated with less than kind solutions.

The Schemer’s back, broken in a nasty fall from a tree over one hundred trine ago, was crudely fixed here with a heavy brace that was hardwired into his carapace, resembling an overgrown turtle shell in its appearance and thickness.

“How long did you know about this?” skekTah demanded.

“About four months. The Emperor didn’t even know he was with child until he was about two months in,” the Scientist replied, mixing chemicals and jotting notes. “It is rather peculiar. I never thought the connection between him and the Collector ran that deeply.”

“How is this possible?”

skekTek paused in his jotting, looking at the other in confusion.

skekTah decided to try explaining again. “I mean, I understand the situation…but I thought such things were impossible for Skeksis. Or at least, we didn’t do such things. Mating, I mean.”

“Well, you’re right on that account. Mating isn’t very high on our list of things to do,” skekTek shrugged, finishing his notes so he could turn his full attention to the Schemer. “Though the main reason we never bothered mating is because, frankly, most of us couldn’t tolerate each other long enough to perform the act. In the beginning, at least. Now that we’ve all been stuck together for six hundred trine, perhaps our instinctive loathing of ourselves and others of our kind have diminished to the point where such activities can not only be performed…but can succeed in their primary duty.”

“…Pregnancy,” skekTah guessed.

“Correct,” the Scientist confirmed.

“But why would the Emperor want children? He has enough to deal with, with all of us,” skekTah argued.

“Didn’t you hear me? The Emperor didn’t know he was pregnant until it was too late,” skekTek hissed. “I had offered to find a way to terminate the pregnancy but lack of information made me reconsider. That and the Emperor decided he wanted to keep his spawn.”

“Won’t they become competition for the throne one day?” the Schemer asked.

“Perhaps,” skekTek shrugged. “The Emperor seems rather certain that he and the Collector can keep them under control and teach them that usurping the Emperor will not be tolerated. He’s rather fond of them already, for having not even birthed the things yet.”

skekTah paused, suddenly noticing something. “Things? As in…multiple?”

“I don’t know. I can’t tell precisely,” skekTek admitted. “But the Emperor has decided there must be more than one. I’ve been studying Gelfling and Podling pregnancies in an effort to figure out how you can discern multiple child birthing from singular child birthing. I haven’t found much because both species rarely have more than one child per pregnancy.”

“This is all so…strange,” skekTah muttered.

“It is,” skekTek agreed. “It’s not something I thought I’d see happen here in the castle. Mating happens between creatures that explicitly feel and express love toward their mates. Hah! It makes one wonder what skekLach did to catch the Emperor’s fancy.”

“Perhaps it was just being the favorite,” skekTah suggested.

“…Are you implying that if skekLach had not become the favorite, it would be skekSil that would be siring the Emperor’s progeny right now?”

skekTah shuddered. He didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to think about any of this. Pregnancies and mating and children. It was all so foreign and strange. Skeksis didn’t do these things!

And yet, now they did.

“Don’t think too hard on it. You’ll get a headache,” skekTek advised. “I know I did back when I was told of this.”

“I’m supposed to be a messenger. I don’t know what that means! Messenger of what?” skekTah cried.

“You’ll probably be the one to tell the rest of the court that the Emperor will be having children,” skekTek guessed. “Again, don’t think too hard on it. We have two months left, if my calculations are right.”

“Two months,” skekTah muttered.

“Yes. Now get out. I’m busy,” the Scientist grumbled, returning to his notes.

The Schemer didn’t argue. He left immediately, yet his mind wouldn’t stop spinning.

The Emperor was having children. The Collector was the other parent. skekTah was being tasked to tell the rest in two months that the Emperor was having children. He wasn’t to think too hard on it.

He felt dizzy and tired suddenly. The Schemer decided to put off today’s work. He needed a nap and time to process this.


	2. Seeing (and Hearing) is Believing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank weasel-girl over on deviantART for pairing ideas with the main group of Skeksis. I winged the rest myself.

skekTah decided a week later that he was either blind or affection had spread rapidly while his back was turned.

He’d returned to his duty the day after he’d been made the Emperor’s messenger. He’d received no other summons from the Emperor since, so he returned to business as usual. He slunk into his hidden passages and returned to spying.

skekTah didn’t dare tell his alliance about his meeting with the Emperor. Only he and skekTek knew, and the Emperor had done it that way on purpose. The Schemer would not do anything to anger the Emperor now. So he carried on with communications as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Yet he began to notice things. They were little things, but they were noticeable to his trained eyes. Things between his fellows that he hadn’t put much focus on before.

The cooed whispers between skekEkt and skekAyuk when they thought nobody was looking. The sly looks that skekSil would cast toward skekUng that didn’t contain their usual anger, rather some kind of passion instead. The light touches between the hands of skekZok and skekNa when they were near one another. Slight shoulder bumps when skekShod and skekOk would pass each other that looked more intentional than accidental. The far-too-affectionate hugs shared between skekLi and skekYi.

It was even happening between his own alliance members! That was what shocked and scared him the most.

The way skekGra and skekSa seemed content to huddle a bit too close to one another during meetings. The too-playful manner that skekMal would taunt skekVar. The Schemer even began to notice the warmth in which skekHak would smile at him, something the Machinist didn’t give anyone else.

Only skekTek seemed unaffected by these bursts of silent affection between Skeksis. Perhaps because the Scientist was so isolated from the rest that no one had tried it on him. Or maybe, like the Schemer, he’d simply been blind to it before the Emperor’s pregnancy had occurred.

Whatever the case, skekTah couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen any of this before. It was so obvious. Most of them were acting like Gelfling around each other, all shy and gooey and cuddly. It was disgusting!

…And yet…

skekTah shook his head, clearing those thoughts away. He had a job to do. He had no time to think about gooey affection between his fellows.

He moved toward the Chamber of Life, the hall around him still and silent. He hadn’t seen many spy animals around as of late. The servants too had seemed more inclined to remain close to the Emperor in his state of weakness. skekTah did not mind this. It made it easier for him to move around in the open without being accused of something ridiculous.

There had been a note delivered to him that morning by a Gelfling slave. The handwriting was scratchy and barely legible, so it could only really be skekTek’s. The Scientist required a meeting with him.

Immediately.

So skekTah had gotten dressed and ready. A few slaves helped him attach his carapace to his back brace. His last few cloaks, bearing wide holes to slip over and under the carapace and hooked by clasps or brooches around his ruff-covered neck, were donned and then he was off to answer the summons.

It was not the Emperor but, at this time, it was someone just as important, in his mind.

The Chamber of Life was a mess and loud, as usual. Most of the animals inside were broken in the mind or soul and barely moved. Others, mostly the newly-captured or the half-mutilated remnants of experiments that skekTek had lost interest in, made raucous calls in the hopes of summoning help. skekTah ignored them all, the Schemer moving deeper into the chamber in search of its primary occupant.

And nearly ran into skekEkt, who had just hopped off of a table. The Schemer barely managed to turn his frightened jump into a semi-graceful half-spin, keeping his deadly tail away from the Ornamentalist’s delicate feet.

“skekTah! What are you doing here?” skekEkt asked, surprised. “I didn’t hear you come in!”

“I called him here. Business,” the Scientist huffed, shuffling around the table. “You’ll be fine, skekEkt. Go back to what you were doing. If it gets bigger, come see me again.”

“Okay,” the Ornamentalist, tall and ornate in his ruffles and lace, replied with a swift nod.

“Is something wrong?” the Schemer asked, eyeing the taller Skeksis critically.

“Just a bit of unwanted weight. Nothing more. Good day.” And with that, skekEkt quickly left the lab.

“…Unwanted weight?”

skekTah hadn’t noticed anything off about the Ornamentalist. skekEkt looked fine to him. He looked at the Scientist for answers.

skekTek huffed, turning away to organize his instruments. “Stupid idiot, coming in here and complaining about weight gain. Should’ve just told him. The look on his powdery face would’ve been worth it.”

“…Is something wrong with skekEkt?” skekTah asked, horribly lost.

“Yes and no,” skekTek replied. “He’s not dying or anything, though he seemed certain that he was. He’s pregnant, though he’s very early along compared to the Emperor.”

skekTah paused, beak dropping. skekEkt the Ornamentalist…was pregnant? Oh dear…

“Heh! Give him another two or three months, then he’ll start shrieking that he’s dying again,” the Scientist cackled cruelly.

“You didn’t tell him?” skekTah dared to ask.

“No. Why should I? He’s early along. The pregnancy could still terminate itself, or so my research tells me,” skekTek replied. “Why bother panicking him now? Plus the Emperor would need to be told and that’s another stressful piece of information that he’d need to handle. No, I won’t tell that powder-faced moron until he’s further along, if he even gets there.”

“But…who?”

“…Who else? The Gourmand. They’ve been together for a while,” skekTek replied. “They were rather obvious about their relationship.”

 _Clearly not obvious enough that mating crossed the minds of those that saw them,_ the Schemer groused inside. “Is anyone else…?”

“Not that I know of, but I’ve been slowly bringing others in here for a routine examination. I’ve been checking them for this since the Emperor ordered it.”

“The Emperor? He knows about these relationships?” skekTah asked, now feeling even more ignorant.

“Knows? Hardly! He asked to see if he was alone in this, nothing more,” skekTek replied. “And he is not, though telling him now, so close to term, might mess with the pregnancy. Stress isn’t good in such situations.”

“…So you won’t tell the Emperor?”

“I’ll tell him eventually. Just not now,” the Scientist said firmly. “Since you’re the messenger, I thought you’d want to know this. But keep your beak shut on it.”

“Got it,” skekTah nodded.

“Good. Now get out. I’ve got essence draining to do,” the Scientist gruffly ordered.

skekTah frowned before withdrawing. The Scientist hobbled about on his false leg. He seemed more stressed than usual. That probably wasn’t good. But it was no matter of the Schemer’s, so he did as he was told and left skekTek to his work.

The rest of the day passed slowly. skekTah made more observations of the others while in his tunnels.

skekEkt was still complaining about his weight gain, certain that skekAyuk had fed him something to cause it. The Gourmand sputtered a denial and the duo bitterly parted ways until after dinner, where skekAyuk carefully guided the Ornamentalist away from the others. They whispered and huddled close. skekTah cursed his ears for not being sharp enough to discern their softly whispered words. The duo vanished into the Gourmand’s room shortly after this and was not seen again that evening.

skekNa joined skekZok in observation of the choir. A few heads were ripped off of Podling singers that fell out of tune with the rest. The Slave-Master cackled cruelly. When the practice was done and the Ritual-Master had sent the slaves away, skekNa drew near to lick the blood from the other’s claws. skekZok promptly scolded him for it but did not draw away. They parted afterward to their own quarters.

skekSil and skekUng were in the catacombs, far from onlookers. skekTah didn’t observe them for long. The Chamberlain was amorous, pawing at the Garthim Master’s robes and hissing compliments and sweet pleas. When skekUng bent his beak to meet skekSil’s, the Schemer fled in disgust.

There were various sounds coming from rooms that skekTah could only assume were safely locked. There was no need to spy on the Emperor or the Collector. He’d seen enough for one evening.

Exiting his tunnels, skekTah retired to his own chambers that night. Disrobing and pulling on his sleeping gown with the help of a few slaves, he scarcely reached his bed when he heard a knock. He opened the door to find a Gelfling slave standing there.

“What? It’s late,” he hissed, annoyed.

The Gelfling, drained and frail-looking, held out a piece of folded paper. skekTah snatched it and looked it over while the slave toddled slowly away. His yellow eyes scanned the neat writing.

It was from skekHak. The Machinist wanted to see him as soon as was convenient for the Schemer.

skekTah sighed, pulling on a heavier robe but leaving the rest of his coverings, as well as his carapace, behind. It was too burdensome to dress again now. He left his room, intent on seeing what his friend wanted and then returning to his own quarters to sleep. The day had been far too long to spend it wandering around all night.

The journey down the stairs to the depths of the castle was long and chilly. skekTah regretted not dressing but it was too late to go back now. Besides, skekHak had a furnace in his room, as well as the melting cauldron. It would be plenty warm there.

Reaching the ornate iron door, he knocked thrice. It did not take long for his friend to answer.

The door opened to reveal the Machinist, taller than him by two heads with deep gray-black skin smeared with soot and ash. skekHak wore his dark goggles, which protected his sensitive eyes from metal debris while he worked. Long-fingered hands bore light burns from many accidents. Beneath the light silvery fluff of the Machinist’s receding hairline, skekTah could spot the head wound that the Machinist bore from the division.

“You wanted me?” skekTah said, holding out the folded sheet of paper.

“Come in,” skekHak insisted, stepping aside so that the heat of the furnace washed over the smaller.

skekTah didn’t argue. The hall was freezing and his feet felt like they were frozen to the ground. The Schemer went inside, positioning himself close to the furnace. His arms were gooseflesh now from shivering so much. The heat felt exquisite and he slumped into a pleased stupor.

“Sorry for calling you down here so late,” skekHak apologized, taking a seat and nudging a chair behind the Schemer so he would sit too.

“It’s okay,” skekTah said, sinking into the chair gratefully. “What did you want?”

“…I’ll just cut to the chase,” skekHak decided. “You’ve been acting oddly for a while now. skekVar and I are concerned. Did something happen?”

“I’m just fine. How have I been acting strangely, skekHak?” skekTah asked.

The Machinist frowned, tenting his fingers neatly atop a folded knee. “You’ve been rather distant lately. You’ve been spending an oddly large amount of time with the Scientist, too.”

“The Emperor has me doing a project with him,” skekTah lied. “I’m gathering information and skekTek is compiling a report on it. It’s classified, so I can’t talk about it. Emperor’s orders.”

“Are you sure? Because you’re not looking at me straight,” skekHak noted. “You wouldn’t be lying, would you?”

“…I can’t talk about it, skekHak. Please,” skekTah stressed.

“…Fine. I’ll let it go,” the Machinist relented, looking away. “skekVar and I were just worried.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try not to worry you. I’m just fine, really,” the Schemer reassured.

“I hope so,” skekHak sighed. “I was starting to think something bad was happening to you. And I wouldn’t want…” He trailed off. “It’s just… I care a lot about you, skekTah. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, not after your back broke.”

“I’m fine, skekHak! Just because my back is broken doesn’t mean I’m more pathetic that I already was,” the Schemer joked.

“That’s not funny,” the Machinist muttered.

skekTah withdrew, sighing.

His back had always been a weak point in conversations. Everyone in his alliance seemed to be under the impression that it was a subject that one could not laugh off and he understood why. But putting it in a permanently grim tone whenever it was brought up got boring very quickly.

Besides, it was his back! If he wanted to joke about it, he could!

“skekVar thought skekUng was up to something with you. That’s all,” skekHak finished, looking away.

“He isn’t, that much I can guarantee and will promise you,” skekTah stated firmly. “This is between the Emperor, the Scientist, and me. Nothing more, nothing less.”

skekHak smiled warmly. “Good. Though I’m still a bit concerned, at least I know our main concern isn’t valid.”

“As if I’d ever work with skekUng! What would be the point?” skekTah snickered. “He has his Garthim do everything now. He wouldn’t need me for anything useful.”

“Good point! He does rely on those things a bit too much,” skekHak smirked.

“Far too much,” skekTah agreed before rising to his feet. “Well, if that’s all you needed, I should get going. It’s late and the journey back is cold.”

“Then stay! I wouldn’t mind, if only for the night,” skekHak offered. “You can trek back early tomorrow while the rest are sleeping.”

That certainly was a plausible scenario. Since the Emperor had grown more slothful through his pregnancy, days tended to start later and later. The rest of them had gladly taken advantage of it to catch some more sleep and rest their aching bones longer, which meant skekTah had a greater window to slip back into his room in the mornings without being caught.

And it was very cold down here in that tunnel.

“Fine. But only until the Rose Sun is up. Then I have to leave,” skekTah declared.

skekHak rose to set up the second cot he’d crafted, placing it near his own bed.

It was not the first time he’d had late night guests decide to stay for the night. It had become more frequent as they grew much older, especially after the 300 trine mark, and his own bed was too small to support himself plus another if they were bigger than skekOk or skekTah, so he’d built another cot and had it ready for guests since then. It was well-used between his alliance members and the extremely rare guest from outside of his ring of allies.

It was late, so skekTah retired quickly. skekHak stayed up late with his work, though he tried his best to be quiet. The acrid scent of melting metal and drifting soot dust, while volatile to any other, was a familiar environment to the Schemer. He drifted off to sleep shortly and was out for the evening.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTah didn’t want to get up. The bed was so warm and he was comfortable. It was like being in his blanket nest, something he’d construct some nights when it was bitterly cold. He was wrapped up in warmth and he enjoyed it.

He buried his beak against the covers and breathed, soot and the scent of something burning reaching his nostrils. A tug pulled on his beak, rousing him. Was something burning in here? That was strange.

He struggled to open his eyes, hazy gold from sleep, and blinked blearily. He was met with relative darkness, which his night vision rapidly corrected. Funny, his room was never this dark. Where was his window? Surely the sun brothers must be up by now.

He blinked, picking out more details in the green-tinted environment around him. Tools of black metal hung from the wall that he could see over the mound of blankets beside and over him. Funny, he had no tools like these. The Schemer’s primary tools were for disassembling door locks and other things to give him access to locked areas in the castle. These looked like…forger’s tools…

The Machinist’s room.

That’s where he was. That explained the lack of a window. skekHak had no windows in his room because he was stationed beneath the castle in relative darkness, living by torchlight and the hefty glow of his furnace and cauldron. That answered why there was a burning scent too.

skekTah struggled to drag his memories together, shoving aside the warm lethargy that threatened to swallow him again. He had been in his room and…received a message from skekHak. He came down here and they spoke…and skekHak had been worried about him. It was cold, so he’d stayed the night.

The Schemer relaxed. He had stayed the night, that was all. For a moment, he had feared that something else less pleasant may have occurred. He was ashamed of himself. How could he think of such things, especially about skekHak?

The Rose Sun was surely up by now. He had overstayed his time here. It was time to get up and go, before the rest stirred and noticed he was gone.

He rose…and was promptly dragged back down to the cot. He squawked, struggling. The blankets! They were alive, constricting him, trapping him! Panic bubbled inside as he fought frantically against the covers and furs that lay over and around him, trying to free himself from their grasp.

“Nnn… Don’t go…”

skekTah paused, freezing. He scanned the room. That had been skekHak…but where was he?

“Don’t go, Tah… Stay…”

The blankets yanked him down, crushing him against a warm bulk. A quick reassessment made it obvious. The blankets were not alive, thank Thra. It was skekHak, wrapped up and unrecognizable in his own covers, reaching out to keep the Schemer there. The Machinist was deeply asleep, unconsciously mumbling and moving.

“Don’t go,” skekHak mumbled, crushing the Schemer close. “Stay… Love you…”

skekTah froze. The words had been uttered. Words that Gelfling and Podlings used. Words that had never passed the beaks of a Skeksis, as far as he knew.

And based on all the coupling that had gone on behind his back, he knew nothing.

“Love you… Stay…”

He was tempted to do that. skekHak had been kind to him and, based on the acts he’d seen between other Skeksis, it was clear what the Machinist felt for him. The Machinist held deep affection for him, much deeper than he’d thought.

He could stay here, tell the Machinist this, and see where it went. His bonds with his alliance were strong. With the others having paired off, surely a coupling between him and the Machinist would not be contested.

But was it safe? Was it right?

_“Now that we’ve all been stuck together for six hundred trine, perhaps our instinctive loathing of ourselves and others of our kind have diminished to the point where such activities can not only be performed…but can succeed in their primary duty.”_

Oh Thra, did he want to end up like the Emperor? Like skekEkt? Pregnant, carrying children?

Would the Emperor even approve of this, of children that were not his own progeny? Or would such children be viewed as competition for his throne, in comparison to his own which he’d already decided would not be?

No, it was too much. This was all simply too much. He could not. Would not! Not now! Not until he knew!

With careful movements, as well as blocking out anymore of skekHak’s groggy sleep talking, the Schemer freed himself and fled from the room into the chill of the morning.


	3. I Can Explain Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you are, the third chapter in Tah's misadventures in the world of soon-to-be parenthood!
> 
> Things start to ramp up from here...

A month passed quickly in the Castle of the Crystal.

skekTah kept up his observations, reporting anything new he found to the Scientist. The first thing to be reported on was the couplings he’d noticed, which would help skekTek detect pregnancies when he did his ‘routine examinations’ of the others. He kept the confession from the sleep talking skekHak to himself, though.

The Emperor had retired to his chambers almost exclusively by the end of the month. Walking hurt and he could no longer host meals or events. skekLach cared for him, bringing him meals and keeping the rest of the court away. Even skekTek, who tended to the Emperor’s health, found himself on edge if he ever needed to slink past the Collector to reach Emperor skekSo.

The pregnancy was rapidly nearing its end. The Scientist had already deduced that it could end much sooner than he’d predicted. What should be a month could be reduced to mere days.

Tomorrow was the day skekTah had been ordered to deliver the news to the rest of the court. The Schemer was doing his best to try and prepare himself. The Emperor, due to his condition, would not be present. Neither would the Collector, who would be guarding the doors to skekSo’s chambers in preparation for any violent reactions to the news.

There shouldn’t be any violent reactions, though. skekTek had predicted this based on his findings. skekEkt was not the only one pregnant now.

Apparently skekZok had been pregnant for a few weeks longer than the Ornamentalist. skekVar and skekSa too were pregnant, along with the Chamberlain, all very early along compared to skekEkt and skekZok. None of them had been told yet. This would be revealed tomorrow by the Scientist, who was to join the Schemer in this announcement.

It made skekTah very nervous. Two of his allies were pregnant. It was guilt-inducing, not telling them anything.

One more day. Just one more day and there would be no more secrets. He could last that long.

.o.o.o.o.

“Are you sure we have everything?” skekTah asked.

“Yes, I’m sure! The worst that can happen is that a few of them will yell and try to pick a fight with the Collector,” skekTek stated, shuffling papers into order. “What I want to know is if you’re ready.”

“…As ready as I can make myself,” the Schemer admitted.

“Good. Tomorrow will be hectic,” the Scientist declared, setting these papers aside. “If your observations are right, then perhaps the news that their mates are pregnant will keep the likes of skekUng and skekNa from trying anything.”

“I hope you’re right,” skekTah said, wringing his hands. “Has this all been delivered to the Emperor?”

“He’ll know when we tell the rest of the court. Until then, all this mating stuff between anyone else stays our secret,” skekTek replied. “The Emperor doesn’t need to know right now. His condition is rather precarious.”

“Do you really think it could be days?”

“It’s possible. It certainly won’t be a month,” the Scientist grumbled. “The children developed quickly in the last month. Could be any day now. I’ve got skekLach giving me daily reports in case there are complications.”

skekTah found that rather funny, the fact that the Scientist was now ordering the Collector around. Not even a hundred trine ago, their positions had been reversed. Then again, the Emperor had not been pregnant one hundred trine ago, nor had the Collector cared for him this much.

The concept of love was still a puzzling factor in the Schemer’s mind. skekHak’s precise usage of the word that chilly morning a month ago still haunted him. Was that word used between anyone else in the castle? Did the Collector proclaim it for the Emperor?

He could not know without asking. He could not ask without admitting to his own experience with the word. And he could not admit to what happened with skekHak. Not to anyone. Not right now.

He put the endless puzzle aside for the moment. He had to be ready for tomorrow. It was to be a big, stressful morning. He would not only reveal Emperor skekSo’s secret, but the secrets of others that did not know what they harbored. Including two of his own allies.

It was not a betrayal of trust. There was no trust concerning this. It was okay.

…Right?

skekTek sighed, noting the position of the suns. “I’d better go see to the Emperor. You make sure you’re ready for tomorrow, Schemer. We can’t afford to mess this up or skip anything.”

“I know,” skekTah nodded. “Good luck.”

“With the way skekLach has been acting, I’ll need it,” skekTek barked, collecting his cane and a few herbs and medicines before limping from the laboratory.

skekTah left too, deciding to search out his allies. They had all seemed rather on edge as of late. Perhaps they had noted their weight gain, as skekEkt and skekZok had, and were concerned about it?

He’d need to discreetly put those fears to rest. He certainly didn’t want a panic to form the day before they’d get the answer to their questions. The last thing they wanted was a riot before the announcement was made.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTah found them meeting together in one of the empty chambers.

There were lots of those in the castle. Countless rooms but only nineteen Skeksis to occupy them. Aside from the insignias and banners along the walls, the tapestries and ornaments scattered about, the room was plain and empty. Yet another nook for alliances to meet and speak together in private, granted no one walked in on them mid-meeting.

His five primary allies were there—skekVar, skekMal, skekHak, skekSa, and skekGra. skekLi, though ally by word of mouth, drifted between theirs and skekZok’s alliances. skekYi joined him in this drifting, never quite tying himself down to any alliance in particular. Neither was present, likely off pestering the Ritual-Master, as they were so fond of doing.

“There you are!” skekTah said, approaching.

“skekTah! I thought we’d never catch you outside of that lab,” skekVar joked.

“Sorry. The Emperor has me busy with this project,” the Schemer explained.

For that was his excuse now. He was involved in a secret project with skekTek, as ordered by the Emperor. It was extensive and exhaustive, explaining his frequent absences. He could not go into much detail due to its secrecy. His alliance didn’t pester for details, though they frequently asked about his health and welfare when they managed to catch him.

“Please tell me it’s almost done,” skekSa begged. “The Emperor can’t possibly keep you on this for much longer!”

“It ends tomorrow,” skekTah promised.

“Thank Thra!” the Mariner cried.

“What a relief! Maybe we’ll finally have our Schemer back fulltime,” the General teased.

“Hopefully,” skekTah nodded, cracking a smile. “How have you all been? I’ve heard worrying things from skekTek about those examinations.”

“He says it’s just weight gain…but I feel that’s not it,” skekVar admitted, tapping his armored belly. “skekSa and I have been talking. This is much too sudden. Neither of us has altered our routines enough to warrant this sudden…growth…”

“Our diets haven’t changed either. skekEkt talks about it too,” skekSa added. “He thinks skekTek is hiding something from us. The Gourmand surely isn’t to blame for this.”

skekEkt was talking about it? Oh no…

“And the Emperor was the first to show these signs! He started gaining weight months ago and now look at him. He can’t even leave his chambers!” skekVar continued.

“What are you saying, skekVar?” skekTah asked, suddenly concerned. “Are you saying that…all of these cases are connected?”

“I’m certain they must be. It’s the same between us all,” skekVar nodded. “Even skekZok has suspected so!”

skekZok was talking too? Oh no…

“skekAyuk has done nothing to the food. The only other that could affect us is the Scientist and all of his chemicals and medicines!” skekGra snarled. “He slipped the Emperor something, saw it succeeded, and is slowly slipping it to us all! Perhaps he hopes to snatch the throne in all this chaos!”

“Hold on! Let’s not jump to conclusions!” skekTah pleaded, panic bursting in his chest. If this kept up, the Scientist could be in danger. “This could all be a horrible coincidence!”

“Between six Skeksis? The Chamberlain has mentioned it to me. He too is afflicted with this sudden gain in weight,” the Hunter pointed out, frowning. “No, this is no coincidence.”

“skekTah, you’ve been around skekTek for the past month,” skekSa recalled. “Has he said or done anything strange while you were around?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all, besides schedule your exams and check on the Emperor,” skekTah replied, guilt gnawing at him.

“skekTek is not stupid! He knows the Schemer is clever. He wouldn’t do anything to draw attention to himself while skekTah was in the lab with him,” skekGra barked. “No, this is being done while he’s holed up alone! Thra knows he’s by himself enough!”

“I’m sure the Scientist is not involved!” skekTah cried. “He’s been going over everyone’s exams. He’s noticed the weight gain. He’s just as confused! Honest!”

“He’s faking it,” the Conqueror growled.

“And what if he isn’t, skekGra? What if skekTek didn’t cause this?” skekSa countered, wringing his hands nervously. “What if skekTah is right and we’re overreacting?”

“It could be something else,” skekMal admitted. “A virus or something.”

“skekTah, tell us plainly. You say skekTek is confused by our exams results. He doesn’t know what’s wrong with us. Has he mentioned any solutions? Anything at all?” skekVar questioned.

“I…” skekTah choked, the urge to spill everything tickling his throat. He forced it back. “He’s said nothing. Just wondered what it was and why you all have it.”

“That’s not good,” skekHak said, looking at the General in concern. “If skekTek doesn’t know what it is…and it’s spreading among us…”

“skekTah… Do you think this could be lethal?” the General asked.

The Schemer froze. Hush fell over the group. Nervous glances were exchanged. skekSa’s hand wringing grew more frantic.

Words filled skekTah’s head. Words that skekTek spoke. Old reports that the Scientist had made from past studies. Studies that bore…ill results.

_“Though pregnancy is normal and tends to work itself out over the course of gestation, I have seen complications. They’re uncommon but they do happen. Very rarely will the pregnancy result in the child dying. Even rarer will it result in the mother dying. Rare, but not unheard of. I’ve come across cases. None that I’ve personally seen, but I’ve heard enough tales of pregnancies that killed the mother in question. I’ve even heard of neither surviving to the end. Again, it is rare…but not impossible.”_

Will it be lethal?

No, it shouldn’t be. skekTek never brought it up before in terms of their pregnant fellows. And it was rare, right? No, it couldn’t possibly happen to a Skeksis.

…But what if it did?

It was possible. Gelfling and Podlings had died giving birth before. He doubted a Skeksis was immune to such a thing.

Scenarios burst unbidden in the Schemer’s mind. The day coming when the child was born. The birth. A child’s first cry. The sudden announcement of the parent’s passing.

He pictured skekSa and skekVar in such a position and shuddered violently.

No. Absolutely not. Impossible.

…Not impossible. Rare. Very rare. But possible.

“skekTah?” skekVar questioned, confused by the lack of response.

Oh Thra, he’d never thought about it before. What if skekSa or skekVar, or—Thra forbid—both of them, died from this? What was he to do? He didn’t want anyone to die!

“skekTah? Are you okay?” The General had noticed his shaking. Concern colored his voice now. “You don’t look so well.”

“Do you need to lie down, skekTah?” skekSa asked.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t keep this up. This was wrong. Wrong! They deserved to know! Oh Thra, why hadn’t he just told them right away? What if they died? He was an idiot!

This could kill them! They could die! Oh Thra, no!

“You’re pregnant.”

“…What was that?” skekSa asked.

“Something about something being…pregnant? Speak up, Schemer,” skekGra huffed. “We can’t hear you when you mutter like that.”

“You. Are. Pregnant,” skekTah ground out.

“…What?” skekVar asked, baffled.

“You and skekSa. skekZok and skekEkt and skekSil. The Emperor. You are all pregnant!” the Schemer declared. “You are carrying children. You…mated. You are pregnant! That is why you are gaining weight! You have a child, or maybe multiple children, inside of you! You. Are. Pregnant!”

The room fell dead silent. All skekTah could hear was his own ragged breathing. His heart boomed in his ears, drowning every other noise out.

 _There, I did it,_ he thought. _I told them. Guilt absolved. Happy? Because skekTek won’t be once you tell him this!_

“…We’re…pregnant?” skekSa asked.

“Is that possible? Can we get pregnant?” skekVar questioned.

“I thought that was something everything else did to reproduce,” skekGra admitted.

“Well, we have all the right parts. And if two of us did it, then…” skekMal looked away uncomfortably. “Presumably, a child could be formed…and then carried to term…”

“Wait! Are you saying…that skekVar and skekSa…are going to have kids?” skekHak asked. “As in, baby Skeksis. Miniatures of us. Is that what I’m hearing, skekTah?”

“Yes,” the Schemer nodded. “Everyone I have named is pregnant. And there may be more. That’s the true purpose behind the sudden examinations that skekTek ordered. It was to check to see if anyone else beyond the Emperor was pregnant.”

“skekTek knew!” skekGra barked.

“He knows. He’s known for a while,” skekTah confirmed. “I’ve known for a month. That was the ‘project’ I was doing. I was ordered to help skekTek out with this.”

“That’s why you stuck around skekTek so much! And all the secrecy,” skekVar realized. “You were hiding this? Why not just tell us?”

“Because not everyone may think of pregnancy or the resulting children as a good thing,” skekTah replied. “The Emperor will be birthing heirs. He doesn’t know that anyone else is pregnant yet. Tomorrow, skekTek and I are going to announce all of this before the entire court.”

“…But you told us now,” skekHak noted.

“…There are cases of Gelfling and Podling pregnancies that ended in death. When you mentioned it, I…I panicked,” skekTah admitted, ashamed. “And I didn’t want to risk you planning an attack on skekTek over something ridiculous. Look, none of you can tell. Nobody can know until tomorrow. Just stay quiet. If skekTek knew I’d told you—”

“We won’t tell,” skekSa reassured. “This is…just a lot to take in. I mean…I’m pregnant? I’m…having kids?”

“Oh Thra, so is the Chamberlain,” skekVar groaned.

“And skekEkt. And skekZok. And the Emperor,” skekGra recalled. “That’s at least six kids.”

“And that doesn’t take into account if anyone else is pregnant,” skekMal added.

“skekTek is constantly checking the results for that very information,” skekTah promised. “The Emperor is almost to term. That’s why we’re having the announcement tomorrow.”

“You mean he’s going to have his kids soon? Oh dear,” the Mariner yelped.

“Wonderful. Do I dare ask who his mate is?” skekMal grumbled.

“I think we can all guess, Hunter. He hasn’t left the Emperor alone since he started gaining weight,” skekGra pointed out.

“Oh yeah,” the Hunter sighed. “That should be fun.”

“Tomorrow is when this will all be announced?” skekVar asked.

“Tomorrow,” skekTah confirmed. “Hopefully nobody will act stupidly.”

“Betting skekUng will,” skekGra said immediately.

“skekNa too,” the Hunter agreed. “I doubt they’ll sit back and let this go without questioning the Emperor.”

“They’ll have fun getting past skekLach. He’ll be guarding the Emperor’s chambers. He’ll never let them in,” the Schemer said. “Besides, they’ll have their own problems.”

“What problems?” skekHak asked.

skekTah smiled deviously. “I’ll leave that to tomorrow.”

“Tease,” the Hunter growled, though it was anything but angry.

“At least it isn’t lethal…or as lethal as we suspected,” skekSa said in relief.

“How will this even work with us?” skekVar asked.

skekTah shrugged. “Those are questions for skekTek. He knows all of this stuff, not me. I’m just the messenger.”

Before anymore questions could be asked, a bell rang. Dinner was ready. Their discussion would need to be curtailed until afterward.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTek wasn’t at the table. The Scientist, along with the Emperor and the Collector, was missing. Nobody was blind to this. Suspicious mutters ran the length of the table.

“Perhaps the Emperor has died.”

“Will skekLach be the successor? Was he named?”

“The Emperor has been bedridden for most of the month. Perhaps the Scientist is ending his suffering.”

“They’ve all been gone so long. Their dinner is getting cold.”

skekTah repressed the shivers running down the length of his broken back. The Emperor and the Collector being gone was fine. The Scientist’s disappearance was worrisome. He’d gone to check on Emperor skekSo earlier. Had something happened?

The Schemer hoped not. He didn’t want things to go south before tomorrow.

Dinner proceeded quietly…or as quietly as Skeksis went. Which wasn’t very quiet at all but it was more quiet than usual. It was rather eerie.

“—idding me, making me come all this way fo—”

skekTek suddenly burst into the dining hall, uttering viciously and limping in his usual fashion. All eyes locked onto him. skekUng rose to demand something, likely an explanation for his absence.

The Scientist didn’t give his ally the chance to speak. “skekTah, get up. You need to come with me.”

“I… What?” The Schemer bristled in alarm and confusion. “Is somethi—”

“Now, Schemer! We’re running short on time! Get up!” skekTek barked.

Chatter instantly ensued between Skeksis. The Schemer glanced at skekVar a few seats down, fear showing on the smaller Skeksis’ face. Then skekTah rose and abandoned his dinner, crossing the hall to join skekTek in his exit. The Scientist showed no signs of wishing to speak to anyone else in the dining hall.

Once they had left the noise behind, the Schemer turned to look at the elder. skekTek’s limp made his walking lag, letting skekTah easily keep pace with him. skekTek looked upset and angry and…afraid?

“skekTek, what’s wrong?”

“Many things, Schemer. You’ll need to make the announcement after the fact. This is too soon, much too soon!”

“What is much too soon?” skekTah demanded.

The Scientist rounded on him, monocle eye flashing in a way that appeared entirely menacing. skekTah found himself shrinking back. skekTek frowned bitterly, visible eye narrowing.

“The Emperor is in labor. Right now.”


	4. You Must Believe Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay. Life has been busy and stressful. But here you are!

The process of giving birth is a loud and messy process. This, skekTah decided the instant he entered the Emperor’s chambers.

skekLach seemed relieved at their arrival, quickly slinking from the chamber while rubbing his flesh hand. skekTek approached the bed, covers thrown aside, the Emperor laying upon it in a strange spread-eagled position on his back. skekTah stuck close to the door, frightened by the Emperor’s disheveled appearance.

“skekTah!”

The Schemer jumped, frightened by the Scientist’s voice suddenly. skekTek was looking at him critically.

“You have to make the announcement now. I won’t be able to join you. I need to ensure the Emperor delivers his heirs safely.”

“What?!” skekTah squawked, panic swallowing him. “You want me to do it alone?!”

“I don’t _want_ you to. I _need_ you to,” skekTek corrected firmly.

“You know all about this condition. I just know…the rest of the stuff!”

“Tell them the Emperor was pregnant for the past six months, he is giving birth to heirs right now, then do what we rehearsed with your part,” skekTek barked. “The sooner you are done, the less stress I’ll have on my shoulders.”

“skekTek, I can’t—”

“You have to! I can’t help you! The Emperor needs me here!” the Scientist snarled, teeth bared. “Go make the announcement!”

skekTah shuddered, stepping backward. Fear hit him like a flood.

The Scientist wasn’t among the most intimidating Skeksis in the court. Take away his allies and his tools and skekTek was easily one of the slowest and weakest of them. It was his knowledge that made him dangerous. skekTah had never seen much reason to be scared of the Scientist before.

Today was different. Today, skekTek was dangerous. Today, skekTah was afraid of him.

skekTek turned away to address the Emperor, who heaved and gasped as he shook on the bed. Once his gaze was off the Schemer, skekTah bolted for the door and abandoned the royal bedchambers. He set course for the dining hall, hands wringing, mind a whirlwind of panic.

He was making this dreadful announcement alone. This was not the plan! skekTek was supposed to explain and answer questions about the Emperor’s pregnancy, about the others afflicted with this condition. skekTah knew so little beyond what the Scientist had told him. He had no way to explain or reassure anyone’s fears.

_“Because not everyone may think of pregnancy or the resulting children as a good thing.”_

What if they launched an attack upon the Emperor? skekLach was powerful but against the rest of the court, even the mighty Collector could not hope to win.

At least skekTah could take solace in the knowledge that his alliance would present no problems. It was just everyone else…

.o.o.o.o.

The banquet hall was loud when he returned. He could already hear conspirator talk from skekUng while skekZok attempted to quell panic and fear with one of his divinations. The Schemer could already predict what everyone was thinking—they, again, thought the Emperor was dying.

skekVar spotted him and shouted, drawing all chatter to a close. All eyes landed on the petite Schemer, who struggled against the urge to turn and flee.

“skekTek…and the Emperor…and skekLach…will not be joining us today,” he choked out.

Noise instantly exploded from the group. skekUng was the loudest, bellowing his theories and issuing challenges for the throne. skekZok bellowed back at him to be silent. skekSil watched, eyeing the pair suspiciously. The rest babbled uselessly, questioning and shrieking. skekAyuk, ignoring it all, continued to eat.

skekTah croaked, trying to gather his words. _The pregnancy, tell them of the pregnancy!_

Yet his tongue refused to cooperate, leaving him breathless and unable to speak. He could only gawk and listen to the raucous noise of the court.

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t good in front of crowds. He needed skekTek here. He needed help!

“Be quiet, the lot of you!”

All eyes darted to the General, voices silenced by the larger Skeksis. He had risen from his seat, eyes flashing in rage. With him stood skekGra and skekMal. Neither looked happy. After a moment, skekSa and skekHak also rose. Though shakier than their larger companions, they both looked to skekTah with confidence.

“You will all be silent while skekTah speaks!” skekVar barked. “This is clearly an important announcement! Let him speak without interruption!”

skekTah shuddered in a mix of nervousness and fear. All eyes fell back on him. His alliance remained standing, ready to silence anyone who spoke out of turn. skekAyuk continued to eat without care, having been the only one quiet through the whole event.

The Schemer struggled to line up his words. He really only had one shot at this explanation. If he failed, he could be putting skekLach, and thus the Emperor and Scientist, in extreme danger. He had to hit every point on the first try. There would be no redoes.

He took a deep breath and spoke in what he hoped was a confident voice.

“I’m sure over the past few months, you’ve all noticed a strange affliction begin to arise in some of us. skekTek put you all through examinations in order to find who was afflicted and who was not, what it was, and how it happened. This is what we’ve told you for the past few months.”

He took a deep breath and forced his voice not to crack. No fear. No weakness.

“skekTek and I have known what it was for a while.”

“And you never—”

“Silence, skekUng!” skekGra hissed, glaring at the Garthim Master.

skekTah ignored the interruption. The sooner this was done, the sooner he could slink away.

“This affliction has primarily consisted of unexplained weight gain and behavioral shifts. This is because the afflicted are not ill or dying, as some feared. They are pregnant.”

skekTah let that sink in a moment before continuing.

“For those that do not know, pregnancy is essentially the act of carrying a child. As hermaphrodites, any of us can perform this task. The afflicted are pregnant with Skeksis children. This means that the afflicted have been coupling with other members of the court. This includes the Emperor, who has been afflicted the longest—six months, by skekTek’s measurement.”

Expressions shifted. Many Skeksis turned to look at one another, confusion and fear decorating their faces. skekTah noted that most of these looks were shared between mates.

“Right now, the Emperor is giving birth to his children. That is why he is not present. skekTek is assisting him, which is why he is not here. skekLach is also not here, as he is guarding the doors to Emperor skekSo’s bedchambers against anyone that tries to attack the Emperor.”

“Are you telling us that some of us are…carrying children? Like Gelfling females do? Preposterous! What Skeksis would indulge in such a disgusting act?” skekUng snarled.

“Apparently, most of us,” skekTah replied coldly. “Yourself included.”

“W-what?” the Garthim Master choked.

“For the past two months, I have kept an eye on the rest of you once I was informed of the Emperor’s state. I have noticed that everyone in this room has taken an interest in another. Of these couples, one in most are now pregnant,” skekTah replied. “I can name them off, if you wish.”

“Prove it!” skekUng challenged, fangs bared.

“The Emperor, consorting with one of us? Lies!” skekNa hissed.

“Then challenge the Collector, if you dare,” skekTah said harshly. “But you two are as guilty as him in your affairs. After all, your mates are both pregnant.”

“Mates? What mates?” skekNa growled.

Here was the moment of truth. If he spun this wrong, skekLach and he would have their hands full. This would be the deciding factor. He prayed that he got this right.

skekTah closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exposed what he knew.

“The Emperor is pregnant with the Collector’s progeny, which he is birthing at this very moment. Among the currently pregnant, we have skekZok, mate of skekNa.”

skekNa froze instantly. skekZok frowned before eyeing his allies critically. Nobody dared to respond, though skekUng’s beak dropped open in shock.

“skekEkt, mate of skekAyuk.”

skekEkt gasped, a flowery handkerchief covering his beak. skekAyuk choked briefly before looking up in confusion, unsure of why exactly everyone was looking at him funny. He’d only heard his name, nothing more.

“skekVar, mate of skekMal. skekSa, mate of skekGra.”

skekSa shifted uncomfortably, still unsettled at the thought. skekVar stood tall and proud, unwilling to reveal his internal worries. Their mates remained firm by their sides, posing silent challenges against those that would dare rise to oppose them.

“The last that skekTek found was skekSil, mate of skekUng.”

skekSil gave a choked whimper, eyes darting around in terror. skekUng’s beak dropped further, if that was possible.

“There are other couples present here, as well as the potential for more pregnancies to occur,” skekTah concluded. “So I suggest anyone who thinks of attacking skekLach or the Emperor, think about your position first. That is all.”

The court was silent. It was clear that the Garthim Master and Slave-Master would not be attacking skekLach now. Mates looked at one another questioningly. skekTah’s alliance returned to their seats.

“See? You did fine by yourself!”

skekTah jumped before whirling around. skekTek limped into the banquet hall, a smirk on his beak. The Schemer felt his heart leap in joy.

Then fear hit him. Had there been complications? Was the Emperor okay?

“If anyone else has questions, you can take it up with me,” the Scientist stated firmly. “I’m here to make my own announcement. The Emperor has given birth to two children, who will be heirs to his throne.”

skekTah expected there to be challenges against this. After all, skekUng and skekSil still pined for the throne. Even skekZok wanted it for himself. To have it robbed from them by two children would surely not go unchallenged.

Yet nobody spoke a word. They all watched skekTek and listened. Even skekAyuk had ceased eating to listen, putting together the pieces in order to reach the same conclusion that the others already had.

“Emperor skekSo and skekLach have named their heirs. They are skekRes and skekJa. They will be treated with respect. This is the order that Emperor skekSo has put into effect as of today,” skekTek said. “Any questions?”

There were no questions. No challenges either. Just silent processing of all of this new information.

skekTek shifted, patting skekTah’s shoulder. “You did well. Come with me. It’s time we told the Emperor this too.”

.o.o.o.o.

They were so tiny. That was skekTah’s first thought.

They looked even smaller against skekLach. Or skekRes did.

Or was it skekJa?

skekTah could not tell. They looked identical to him.

They looked like Skeksis, yet they did not. They had no hair or feathers. No teeth either. Their eyes were shut and they made feeble movements. Their cries were rather strident, yet not piercing.

It was clear that skekLach and Emperor skekSo were in love with the pair. skekLach cradled one carefully in his flesh arm while Emperor skekSo, now comfortable and covered up in his bed, held the other. skekTek and skekTah stood near the bed, silently watching.

“You said you have further news regarding this…pregnancy…that I went through. What is it, Scientist?” the Emperor asked.

Gone was the bite and bark of his voice. The aggression was absent. There was just exhaustion. The Emperor was strangely gentle and passive now. It was rather foreign on their regularly malevolent Emperor.

skekTah wondered briefly how long it would last.

“You are not the only one that is—was—pregnant, your highness,” skekTek said. “We have at least five other cases and the potential for more.”

“So the rest have experienced what I have,” Emperor skekSo muttered.

“Yes, your highness,” skekTek confirmed. “Your children will be heirs to the throne. Nobody has contested this. You have nothing to fear.”

The Emperor was silent for a long time. The child in his arms squeaked, drawing his attention. One of its tiny hands wrapped around a bony finger, clutching it. Emperor skekSo smiled, glancing up at his mate. skekLach grinned widely.

“Then they will have little ones to practice lording over in preparation for the day my throne is passed to them,” Emperor skekSo said. “Excellent. I shall permit it.”

“Y… You shall?” skekTek choked.

“I shall,” Emperor skekSo confirmed. “skekTah, you have done well today. I shall ensure that you are rewarded for your silence and loyalty in regards to this event.”

“Thank you, your highness,” skekTah said, bowing his head respectfully.

.o.o.o.o.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“You looked like you needed it,” skekVar said. “Of course we would help you.”

“This is still all so strange…but at least one of us has gone through this successfully,” skekSa admitted.

“How is everyone else holding up? Has there been any mishaps?” skekTah asked in concern.

“Nothing amiss, though skekUng and skekSil seem to have stopped arguing in public now,” skekGra snickered.

“skekSil was rather worried about his condition, but he looks fine now that he knows he’s not alone in this,” skekHak added.

“And the Emperor’s young? Are they well?” skekMal asked curiously.

“They look healthy and strong,” skekTah replied. “The Emperor is very proud of them. And he’s permitted the other children, if only so his can practice being emperors over them.”

“I’d hate to think of what he’d order if he did not permit them,” skekHak muttered.

“Agreed,” skekTah nodded.

In all honesty, the Schemer was glad that the event was over. When the Ritual-Master gave birth, there would be no need for explanations. skekTah would have no real part in it. The rest was in the hands of the couples and skekTek. His part was complete.

…Or so he thought.


	5. How Did This Happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s about a six month time skip here, so prepare for more babies than just skekRes and skekJa.
> 
> Also suffering for skekTah, because it’s a thing for him. He can never escape.

skekTah groaned when he heard the telltale crash of a vase down the hall, followed by the cackles of the twins.

In the past six months since the Emperor had birthed them, skekRes and skekJa had quickly made their dual nature evident to the rest of the court. They were absolute angels when their parents were around, being polite and respectful and unwaveringly loyal to the Emperor’s word. But the instant skekLach and Emperor skekSo were gone, the twins became the worst set of demons that the castle had ever had to host.

Though identical by appearance, skekLach had taken up one of skekLi’s hobbies—braiding—in order to differentiate his sons. With their hair and feathers growing in, thick and wild like the Collector’s, skekLach braided a lock of hair on either side of their heads to quickly tell them apart. The twins, not knowing how to braid, did not dare to unravel their parent’s work lest they upset him.

And upsetting skekLach was a big no-no. He spoiled his sons rotten. Neither child wished to lose his favor for any reason.

Which was why skekRes and skekJa had quickly taken to playing an identical game as their greedy parent—placing the blame for their mistakes on the Chamberlain.

They were exceptionally good at it, frighteningly enough.

skekTah, sadly, became a close second in this cruel blame game. The Schemer had quickly learned to clean up whatever mess the twins made near him in order to dodge this game. If only skekSil was swift enough to do the same, but heavy pregnancy tended to slow such actions down.

At least skekSil had a ferocious mate that had no qualms about chasing the nosy brats away if they harassed skekSil too much. That was one thing the Chamberlain had that skekTah did not.

skekTah moved down the hall to check on the damage, only to fall short. He resisted the urge to chuckle at the scene before him.

The twins cowered before the Ritual-Master, who had caught them red-handed in their wild roughhousing in the halls. His stance and deep frown promised disapproval of the actions he had witnessed the Emperor’s progeny commit. By his side was his daughter, skekVu, mimicking the stance and facial expression of her parent.

Compared to the troublesome twins, skekVu was a dream. Everyone in the court adored her, especially her parents. With her blonde hair braided neatly along her back and her vibrant blue eyes, matching skekZok’s to the exact hue, she stuck out easily among the children in the castle. There was no match for her.

Also unlike the twins, who raced about freely without their parents around, skekVu was always in the company of one of her parents. Though she stuck close to skekZok primarily, it was made very clear when she was with the Slave-Master.

skekNa, previously content to either be with his alliance or by himself, was more active in the company of his daughter. He was less prone to violence or cruelty, even toward the slaves. The biggest factor was his smile. skekNa actually smiled. Sometimes he even laughed. It was common to see him playing with his child, chasing her around or seeking her out if they played hide-and-seek in the halls.

Things had changed rather drastically since the Emperor had birthed his sons. The castle wasn’t as dark or glum as it used to be. It had gained a new kind of light, fresh and cheery.

skekTah turned away. There was no need for him to intervene. skekZok would deal with the twins from here. Though defiant as sin toward their elders, the twins knew what the Ritual-Master was capable of. As a bonus, neither seemed willing to lash out at skekVu. Though younger by a month, it was clear that she could order them around easily without consequence.

The Schemer left the area in search of his alliance. skekSa and skekVar’s pregnancies should end any day now. The Scientist predicted that, much like the Emperor, both were harboring twins. That would be four more children to add to their current number.

In addition to the twins and skekVu, there was one final Skeksis child in the castle—skekPer, daughter of skekEkt and skekAyuk.

Much like the twins, skekPer was spoiled rotten by her parents. She never really wanted for anything…except maybe to walk on her own two feet. Almost five months old, she was still carried almost everywhere by one of her parents. This would probably have been a teasing point by the twins if they weren’t so afraid of skekEkt’s screeching voice.

skekTah still found the origin behind skekPer’s name amusing—skekEkt had said she was perfect, thus she should be skekPerfect…but skekAyuk had said that was too long of a name, so they settled for skekPer. One could still hear skekEkt call her by her original name if they strained their ears hard enough on quiet evenings.

.o.o.o.o.

Four children in the castle, with at least five more on the way soon. And that didn’t include the newest pregnancies.

skekOk and skekYi were both pregnant, diagnosed only days ago by the Scientist. skekLi had become ecstatic when he heard of his mate’s pregnancy, parading about the banquet hall in his flashiest clothes in celebration. skekShod had been more content to stay out of sight of the rest of the court, the Scroll-Keeper mysteriously vanishing with him.

That meant almost every couple in the castle had or was expecting children.

Except skekHak and skekTah.

And that was more of skekTah’s fault than anything. This, he took responsibility for. After all, their affection was strong…but that heart stopping moment in skekHak’s chamber seven months ago remained only a memory in the Schemer’s mind.

_“Don’t go, Tah… Stay… Love you…”_

skekTah had yet to admit to the event. He kept close to the Machinist and accepted the other’s advances on him. He had yet to bring up anything bordering on the same territory that his fellows had breached. He couldn’t bring himself to progress on the feelings in his chest.

Just because skekHak said it in his sleep did not actually mean it was true. He and skekHak were very close. Did he really want to risk his friendship by daring to ask for more, even when the Machinist had never denied him anything he asked?

The Schemer was simply not that brave, so silent he remained.

Besides, he had other things to be concerned about. Like his sudden weight gain.

He’d been fine until two months ago. Then he’d started rapidly putting on weight. No matter how much he cut back on meals and wandered the castle during the day, the weight refused to leave. It was mindboggling.

And terrifying. Weight gain had put on a new meaning seven months ago.

But that was impossible! He had never engaged in any such activities with anyone!

…Had he?

Dark thoughts prodded at him. Fear solidified in his chest. He could really think of only one incident.

He prayed that he was wrong.

.o.o.o.o.

“What was it that you needed, skekTah? You look worried.”

Here he was again, in the sooty chambers of the Machinist. skekHak was carefully cooling new tools in a bucket of water, eyes on his work. His ears, one the other hand, were focused on the Schemer.

skekTah wrung his hands, heart in his throat. He truly prayed that he was wrong. If he wasn’t and this was what he thought it was…well…

Things could get very messy suddenly.

“Do you remember…when you and I met up seven months ago?”

“Seven months? That’s a long way back, skekTah,” skekHak noted. “What was that meeting about again?”

“It was just between you and I,” skekTah explained. “When I was helping skekTek, before we told anyone about the pregnancies. When you and the others thought skekUng was using me for something.”

“Okay, I think I remember that. What about it?” the Machinist asked, setting the tools on the table in front of him to dry.

“I…slept here with you…” skekTah swallowed his rising fear. “Did anything…else…happen that night?”

“Not really, I’d think,” skekHak replied. “I probably worked a bit and then went to bed. You were gone when I woke up, as usual. Why?”

“What I mean is…did anything…intimate…happen between us that night?”

skekTah’s face burned. He stared firmly at the floor, waiting for his doom. skekHak had stopped moving, becoming oddly silent. skekTah suddenly craved the sound of hissing metal and crackling embers.

“Why do you ask that, skekTah?”

skekTah swallowed before looking up. The Machinist’s goggles were lifted, orange eyes looking horribly confused. There was concern there too. It made the Schemer feel guilty. He wanted to sink into the earth and vanish.

“Just answer the question!” skekTah bit out, perhaps harsher than he intended but panic was beginning to gnaw at him. He needed answers!

skekHak frowned, noting the sharp words. “I’ve never done anything to you without your permission, skekTah, intimate or casual. If anything happened that night, I don’t recall it. But I’ve yet to suffer any form of amnesia, so I’ll say no. I did nothing intimate with you.”

skekTah felt he should be relieved. skekHak had done nothing to him. But the panic only grew. If not skekHak, then who?

If he was indeed pregnant, then skekHak had just ruled himself out as the other parent.

That scared skekTah. Completely scared him.

“Why are you asking such a thing, skekTah? At least answer me that much,” skekHak requested, abandoning his work to fully face his smaller companion.

skekTah’s hands were shaking. He wanted to scream. At least if it were skekHak, he could take solace that at least he was mated to a dear friend, but this? He had not interacted with anyone else that he could recall during that time frame. This made absolutely no sense!

“skekTah? You’re shaking. Are you unwell?”

skekHak had drawn close suddenly, long-fingered hands grasping the Schemer’s lithe shoulders. The Schemer felt his eyes burning in frustrated tears. Breathing was difficult now.

Hyperventilation. He was panicking. He was having a complete emotional meltdown.

skekTah hadn’t even realized that he had begun talking. His tongue seemed to have a mind of its own now, spilling his panic and fears. The weight gain and all it could mean. Terror ran rampant in his words as he cowered and shook.

“—and I came to you because of that night and I thought maybe it was you because you said you loved me and—”

“What? skekTah, stop! What was that last bit?”

skekTah reigned his tongue in, mortified. Most of his rambling had zipped by in a blur of panic but not those last few words. No, those seemed to inch by in slow motion. And skekHak had heard those very words perfectly. The Schemer truly wished to die now.

“I said…that I loved you? When?” skekHak asked.

“…When you were asleep…in the morning when I woke up, that day seven months ago when I slept over here,” skekTah choked.

“You’re not lying to me? I truly said this?” the Machinist pressed.

skekTah cowered. This was it. Their friendship was over. It was ending now, all because his tongue saw fit to expose such catastrophic events. He wanted to cry.

Oh, wait, he already was crying. Never mind.

“You did,” skekTah croaked, nodding. “You said that…when I tried to get out of the cot…”

skekHak’s face, darkened with soot, seemed to grow a few shades darker.

Perhaps just a trick of the light. skekTah could not be sure. His hopes were already crushed. Of course the lighting saw fit to sabotage him too.

“You said that…and when I realized I was gaining weight, I thought…well…”

Realization dawned on the Machinist. “You thought we…?”

skekTah nodded, shame crushing him.

He readied himself for rejection, to be thrown from these subterranean chambers, never to return. He would cry and mourn, but he could take it. Or so he hoped.

“But we did not…or neither of us remembers the act,” skekHak admitted, gaze slipping to skekTah’s stomach, suddenly more pronounced that usual. “Could it be another?”

“I haven’t been intimate with anyone. The closest I got was with you that evening, so you were the only guess I had,” skekTah said shakily.

“Maybe you’re just gaining weight normally?” skekHak suggested.

“This quickly? No,” skekTah denied. “At least, I wouldn’t think so. This happened too suddenly for that to be it.”

“…You truly think you are pregnant, don’t you?” skekHak asked.

“I do,” skekTah confirmed, looking away in fear and shame. “But I do not know how. You were my only guess. Beyond that, I don’t have the foggiest idea of how this could’ve happened to me.”

“Then you should see skekTek,” skekHak urged. “Let him examine you, as he did the others. If anyone can find out what this is, it is him. He has not been wrong yet. Perhaps he’ll even be able to help figure out how it happened, if you are indeed pregnant.”

“And if I’m not?”

“Then you panicked yourself over some extra weight,” skekHak said, chuckled. “I can’t say you haven’t done sillier things.”

.o.o.o.o.

“And you’re sure the two of you didn’t do anything?” skekTek asked.

“If we did, we don’t remember,” skekHak replied.

skekTah was grateful that the Machinist agreed to come with him to the Chamber of Life. He wasn’t sure he could properly explain his predicament to the Scientist without looking foolish. Granted, he still felt foolish but less so with skekHak standing by his side.

The Scientist skimmed through notes while he ran tests on skekTah’s blood and fluid samples. skekTek hummed and muttered a lot, jotting things down. It made the Schemer nervous.

“Interesting,” skekTek said.

“What is?” skekTah demanded, bristling in fear.

The Scientist stepped away from his notes, reaching out to run a hand over skekTah’s stomach. He was unclothed from the waist up, exposing his rounded stomach. It was obvious that the Schemer had gained quite a few pounds since he’d last been examined by skekTek.

“You’re sure that absolutely no kind of reproductive interaction was performed between you two? None at all?” skekTek asked.

“For the final time, we did nothing that intimate. We never have,” skekHak declared firmly.

“Then I really only have half an answer for you,” the Scientist said.

skekTah froze. Half an answer. Not a full one.

skekTek wasn’t known for giving half the information that someone wanted or needed. This made the Schemer extremely nervous. skekTek’s expression told him all he needed to know.

Whatever was wrong with him, skekTek wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what it was.

“What’s wrong with me? Am I…?” skekTah choked, praying to anyone who would listen that he was wrong.

“Pregnant? Absolutely,” skekTek said. “Congratulations, skekTah. You’re pregnant with a child.”


End file.
